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Impacts of Globalisation :

During the Tenth General Conference of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs between 2 and 5 July 1998, several recommendations have been made with regards to the Islamic response to globalisation. The recommendations were made up of three sections, namely :

1)Islamic response at the political level to issues pertaining to globalisation

2)Islamic response at the economic level to issues pertaining to globalisation

3)Islamic response to issues pertaining to globalisation in scientific areas

Nonetheless, while serious thought has been given and recommendations have been made vis-s-vis globalisation issues, there must equally be concrete and practical plans to realize all those recommendations. Putting ink to paper is easy, but to translate what is written into a practical and realistic actions require a lot more effort and initiative.

The challenge for Muslims – be they Muslim countries, organizations or individuals – lies not only in identifying the problems and issues of globalisation. Mere rhetoric is insufficient. But the real challenge for Muslims in this era of globalisation is to face these issues head on with concrete measures that are implementable.

Global Muslim Unity

Looking at the state-of-the art of education and knowledge development including the area of modern technological advancement, we observe that the Muslim world is in critical condition. The illiteracy rate is still high in the Muslim world. So too are the poverty rate and the unemployment rate in many Muslim countries. Since the Muslims are still lagging behind in terms of modern technology, the rich resources of the Muslim world is still being manipulated and dominated to the maximum by the developed nations.

Politically, some parts of the Muslim world are in turmoil due to domestic political problems as well as foreign pressure. The implementation of economic sanctions against Muslim nations are still unresolved. Problems in Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and other parts of Muslim countries remain unsettled. These issues have accumulated into a big problem to the Muslim world, which resulted in political and economic uncertainty that has brought about suffering among the people of these nations. By and large, this situation is the main reason why Muslim countries are left behind in terms of education and economics development. What we see instead is the rich nations (including the rich Muslim countries) becoming richer, as a consequence – either directly or indirectly – of the backwardness of the majority of the Muslim countries.

No one can actually claim that internal problems do not exist in any one country. Several Muslim countries are facing the problem of continuous bloodshed and killings. The Middle East is currently facing turbulent time with the dangling issues of Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and extremist groups. These political problems have also destabilised those countries.

History has taught Muslims to strive for excellence in all areas and achieve stability in all aspects of life. The first political manoeuvre that the Prophet Muhammad took when the city of Madinah was founded was to create a united and strong ummah (community/nation) through the concept of mu’akhat (brotherhood) between the Muslims of Madinah (Ansar) and Muslims from Makkah (Muhajirin).

The concept of brotherhood as applied by the Prophet involved the development of economic and political system that is global in nature. According to historical sources, the Muslims of Makkah had expertise in trade and commerce, while the Muslims in Madinah were specialists in agriculture and handicrafts. The combination of these two fields created a strong, resilient and solid nation-building process. The concept of mu’akhat between the Ansar and Muhajirin became something that was very practical and pragmatic, not only on everyday matters, but also in strategizing the socio-economic development of the Muslims, in competing with the advancement already achieved by the Quraish of Makkah.

One of the important issues that was stressed by the Prophet was the importance of knowledge. The Prophet personally illustrated this importance when he established the mosque in Quba’. The Prophet strengthened the spiritual aspect with faith (iman) and piety (taqwa), and at the same time the Prophet instilled the need for the acquisition of “worldly” knowledge. This was done by the Prophet by delegating matters pertaining to certain areas of expertise to his companions who had the knowledge on those matters.

To this end, I am of the opinion that if Muslims of today could focus on unity and to achieve common goals in this world, as shown by Ansar and Muhajirin through the concept of mu’akhat, then almost certainly the Muslim world would not be in its current predicament.

I believe that if Muslims put the emphasis on knowledge and a common global vision, then perhaps all the problems and side issues, such as differences of opinions among the jurists and different school of thought, varying interpretations of justice and wether we are secular or not – would be resolved with wisdom without resulting in disunity of the Muslim ummah.

Islam and Global Basis

During my service at the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM) I used to attend several intellectual discourses and forums, including the dialogue in Berlin in 1999, I could observe the seriousness of scholars from non Muslim countries in Asia and Europe, in discussing current issues pertaining to intercultural interactions between Islam and the rest of the world. They stresses positively on the need to maintain a healthy bilateral relationship in generating global co-operation based on tolerance, knowledge-sharing and joint programmes between the Muslim world and their nations. The idea of the clash of civilizations (Huntington, 1996) was rejected by the majority of scholars. It is really important to co-operate between Muslim and non Muslims scholars in the area of education and research.

It is hoped that these pertinent issues, as well as the issues of the portrayal of Islam in the international media, be discussed scientifically and openly in an effort to identify the underlying cause of this malaise in the Muslim world.

The discussion on matters relating to religions and nations should be held void of sentiments and emotions. I am happy to note that some non Muslim scholars I met have very deep understanding and interest in issues in the Muslim world and Islam itself. They look at these issues systemically and openly, and they seem to show an inclination towards an open attitude in accepting the relevance of Islam in the modern world.

The fact that non Muslims world is seriously studying and researching issues vis-a-vis Islam and Muslims should make the Muslims aware that there is an urgent need to scrutinize the research activities conducted by the Muslim academics and scholars in the Muslim world.

We Muslims should be brave enough to pose some critical questions to our own Muslims brothers and sisters : Are the research and scholarly activities showing improvement and maturity? What are the issues being researched and discussed by Muslim scholars and ulamaks? Are we addressing current issues brought about by the rapid advancement in ICT and biotechnology? Or are we still busy debating on matters pertaining to decrees (fatawa) and injunctions (Ahkam)?

Sometime, I feel as if Muslims are still discussing matters based on partisans, sentiments and emotions. Sadly, in doing so, we have made up Islam to be so limited and narrow, while in reality Islam is a complete way of life, which is very wide in scope and global in nature. It is sadder still that the non-Muslim scholars are the ones who are seriously studying contemporary Islamic issues from a very global perspective.

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NO PERSON KNOWS WHAT HE WILL EARN TOMORROW, AND NO PERSON KNOWS IN WHAT LAND HE WILL DIE. VERYLY ALLAH IS ALL-KNOWER, WELL ACQUAINTED. (LUQMAN, 34)

WHEN ALLAH SWT TAKES SOMETHING AWAY FROM YOU, HE COMPENSATES YOU WITH SOMETHING BETTER, BUT ONLY IF YOU ARE PATIENT AND SEEK YOUR REWARD FROM HIM.

THE PROPHET SAW SAYS WHOEVER LOSES A LOVED ONE FROM THE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD AND THEN SEEKS HIS RECOMPENSE WITH LORD, WILL BE COMPENSATED WITH PARADISE.

SO DO NOT FEEL EXCESSIVE SORROW OVER SOME MISFORTUNE, BECAUSE THE ONE WHO DECREED IT HAS WITH HIM PARADISE : RECOMPENSE AND A GREAT REWARD.

DURING HIS STRUGGLE TO SPREAD THE MESSAGE OF ALLAH, THE TRUE RELIGION, ISLAM, PROPHET MUHAMMAD SAW WAS TESTED WITH HARDSHIP WHEN HE LOST HIS BELOVED, CARING AND TRUSTING WIFE. ONE MONTH AFTER HER DEATH, HIS PROTECTER AND GUARDIAN UNCLE ABU TALIB DIED, THUS EXPOSING HIM TO THE WRATH OF THE QURIYSH.

WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING, DO NOT EXPECT TO SEE THE EVENING – LIVE AS THOUGH TODAY IS ALL THAT YOU HAVE. YESTERDAY HAS PASSED WITH ITS GOOD AND EVIL, WHILE TOMORROW HAS NOT YET ARRIVED. YOUR LIFE’S SPAN IS BUT ONE DAY, AS IF YOU WERE BORN IN IT AND WILL DIE AT THE END OF IT. WITH THIS ATTITUDE, YOU WILL NOT BE CAUGHT BETWEEN OBSESSION OVER THE PAST, WITH ALL ITS ANXIETIES, AND THE HOPE OF FUTURE WITH ALL ITS ENCERTAINTY.

ALLAH SAYS :

AND CERTAINLY WE SHALL TEST YOU WITH SOMETHING OF FEAR, HUNGER, LOSS OF WEALTH, LIVES AND FRUITS, BUT GIVE GLAD TIDINGS TO AS-SABIRIN (PATIENT)

WHO WHEN AFFLICTED WITH CALAMITY, SAY “TRULY, TO ALLAH WE BELONG AND TRULY, TO HIM WE SHALL RETURN”

(AL-BAQARAH 155-156)

EVERYONE SHALL TASTE DEATH (ALI-IMRAN 185)

MUHAMMAD SAW WAS ABLE TO GUESS THE EXACT DATE WHEN THE IDOLLATORS WOULD COME TO KILL HIM, SO ON THAT EVENING, HE PUT HIS COUSIN, ALI, IN HIS BED, SLIPPED OUT OF HIS OWN HOUSE, WENT TO THE HOME OF HIS INTIMATE FRIEND, ABU BAKAR, AND WITH HIM WENT TO MADINAH, USING AN UNUSUAL ROUTE WHICH THE MECCANS WOULD NOT HAVE ANTICIPATED.

The pillar of Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, although you don't see Him, He certainly sees you.

Know that Allah knows everything about every creature; He knows their circumstances and their deeds; He misses nothing, and nothing is hidden from Him, not even the smallest ant - nothing smaller than that nor greater. Allah Almighty says:

Whatever you may be doing, and whatever portion you may be reciting from the Qur'an, - and whatever deed you (mankind) may be doing (good or evil), We are Witness thereof, when you are doing it. And nothing is hidden from your Lord (so much as) the weight of an atom (or small ant) on the earth or in the heaven. Not what is less than that or what is greater than that but is (written) in a Clear Record. (Surah Yunus 10: 61)

Other than affirming Allah's complete Knowledge, Ability, and Care regarding His creatures, this verse teaches Allah's worshippers to always feel that He is aware of their actions or lack of action, their sayings and deeds, and all that circulates in their hearts.

And whether you keep your talk secret or disclose it, verily, He is the All-Knower of what is in the breasts (of men).

The feeling that Allah knows all, should become more acute when a Muslim performs an act of worship, a time when he is standing before his Lord, when he grasps that Allah sees him and when it is as if he sees Allah: this is the highest level of religion, which the Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) clarified when he explained Islam, Iman, and Ihsan. He (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:

Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and though you do not see Him, He indeed sees you.

The Definition Of Ihsan

In the Arabic language, Ihsan is the opposite of a wrong or an offence. A person who does good deeds is called a Muhsin or, according to the famous grammarian Sibawayh, Mihsan. Deeds that are good are called Mahasin, just as deeds that are bad are called Masawa'. When you say that one has Hassana something, you mean that he has adorned it. Ihsan means proficiency in action, and sincerity, and truthfulness.

As used in the Shari'ah, Ihsan changes in meaning according to the context it is used in. When mentioned along with Islam and Iman, it means good obedience and watching what one does. Al-Manawi said, "Ihsan is outward Islam, which is held up by inward Iman, which is perfected by the observing Ihsan."

Ihsan means to perform deeds, knowing that Allah is aware of one's deeds, and it also means to be obedient to Him. When one performs deeds, knowing that Allah is watching him, one will perform good deeds in a better way. In Ihsan, then, is the essence and spirit of/man.

The Reality Of Ihsan

When Jibril (Alayhi Salam) asked the Prophet about Ihsan, he (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) explained:
It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and though you do not see Him, He indeed sees you.

This means that a person will perform deeds in a good way when he is cognizant of the fact that Allah sees him, and that is the interpretation of this verse:
Verily, Allah enjoins AI-Adl (justice) and Al-Ihsan. (Surah An-Nahl 16: 90)

That is why Allah magnified the rewards of the people of Ihsan, for He Almighty said:
Truly, Allah loves Al-Muhsinun (the good-doers). (Surah Al-Baqarah 2: 195)

And He Almighty says:
Is there any reward for good other than good? (Surah Ar-Rahman 55: 60)

Meaning, what reward is there in the Hereafter for those who do good in this world other than good being done to them.
Ihsan is one of the best levels of worship, because it is not only the essence and spirit of faith, but it is also its completion; all other levels of Iman are included in it. Ihsan in this sense, then, signifies a complete level of attentiveness before Allah, making one fear Allah and perform deeds sincerely and purely for Him alone.

The Levels of Ihsan

Ihsan comes at many different levels, the highest of which is one feeling that he is in the presence of Allah Almighty as the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) explained in the Hadith. The level beneath that is seeking closeness to Allah by performing voluntary deeds; then other acts of Ihsan follow after that, regardless of whether those are represented by intention, objective, or action.
To worship Allah as if you see Him

The Prophet's explanation here indicates that the worshipper should worship Allah in this manner - feeling His closeness, that He is before Him, and feeling as if he sees Him. What follows necessarily are reverence, fear, awe, and glorification. The wording in the narration of Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allahu Anhu) is,
To fear Allah as if You see Him.

What also necessarily follows is sincerity in worship, which makes one strive to improve his worship of Allah, making it more complete. Ibn 'Umar (Radhi Allahu Anhuma) said, "When we would make Tawaf, we would imagine that Allah was before our eyes." (Recorded by Abu Nu'aym in Hilyatul-Awliya' 1:309)
And though you do not see Him, He indeed sees you.

This encourages the worshipper to feel Allah's closeness to him when he is worshipping Him - so that he reaches such a level that it is as if he sees Him. If that is difficult, the worshipper seeks help through his faith that Allah is watching him and is aware of not only his outer (deeds, but also of his innermost secrets. The worshipper knows that none of his deeds are hidden from Allah. When this level is achieved, it is easy for one to move on to the next level, and that is to always act as if he sees Allah and according to the knowledge that Allah is near and close to him. Know that Ihsan is made up of two ranks:

1) The rank of sincerity, and that is for one to worship Allah, cognizant of the fact that Allah sees him and is near to him. When one applies this, he becomes sincere to Allah. Remembering that Allah is near him and knows his deeds when he is actually performing an act of worship prevents one from doing that act for anyone other than Allah.

2) The rank of the Mushahid (observer), and that means for the worshipper to act in conformity to the feeling in his heart that Allah sees him. This is for the heart to be illuminated with Iman and for one to penetrate the depths of knowledge, until the unseen to him becomes like the seen. And this is the reality of the Ihsan explained in the Hadith of Jibril (Alayhi Salam). (Taken from Jami’ Al-'Ulum wal-Hikam [by Ibn Rajab] 1:75-76, with some editing. )

Multiracial....Multicultural

Most countries around the world have become multicultural. Immigrants and refugees are moving across the globe in search of freedom, human rights and a better life. They bring with them customs, rituals, dress and language unique to their ethnic groups and slowly immigrants will demand that their cultural differences be recognised and be afforded respect.

When cultures meet, they may come together in harmony or they may collide. It can lead to the stronger groups dominating the lesser, it can lead to wars and fighting or we find shared values as the way to live together.

What are the challenges we face in achieving shared values in a multicultural environment?

The first of the challenges comes from those with vested interests or with a stake in perpetuating ethnic segregation. They will alienate the vast majority of people with their stand and surely cause disunity.

A second challenge emanates from partisan politics which are ethnic based. Here we see politicians who will only champion the cause of their own ethic group. These are politicians who are willing to forsake other ethnic groups and religions to ensure that they remain popular among their party members.

Third, religious intolerance impedes unity. Narrow, bigoted interpretations of rules and regulations undermine that universal values shared by all religions. Religion can be misused to fuel and to feed hatred of ‘others’, who are culturally, ethnically or religiously different from us.

Fourth, communal pronouncements and ethnic distortions and misconceptions which are ventilated will demean and degrade other communities and derail the quest for national unity.

Malaysia’s story

I believe that Malaysia is a success story when it comes to successful ethnic groups living in harmony. Without a doubt, the Malaysian Constitution has greatly influenced our spirit of acceptance and celebration of the various ethnic groups in Malaysia.

There are certain underlying socio-political ideas in the Malaysian Constitution which shapes its journey towards a nation that is truly united in diversity. At its most basic, the Malaysian Constitution embodies an Article on Equality. Article 8(1) states that, “All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law.”

While Malay is the sole official and national language, the use and study of other languages is also protected in the Constitution; while Islam is the religion of the Federation, the freedom to practise other religions is also safeguarded; while the special position of the Malays and other indigenous peoples is enshrined in the Constitution, it also guarantees the legitimate interests of the other communities. This equilibrium is a vital dimension in the nation’s philosophy of, and approach to, national unity.

It is reinforced by a third idea. The Constitution recognises the importance of principles, processes and institutions that transcend ethnic interests in holding the nation together. Civil liberties, common electoral rolls and multi-ethnic legislatures would be some examples.

The Rukunegara with its commitment to national unity, among other goals, and the New Economic Policy (NEP) that had pledged to eradicate poverty irrespective of ethnicity and restructure society in order to reduce the identification of ethnicity with economic function are part of its heritage.

So is Wawasan 2020 which enunciates “a united Malaysian nation with a sense of common and shared destiny” as the first of its nine central strategic challenges.

Indeed, maintaining the equilibrium in important spheres of society is a fundamental prerequisite for inter-ethnic harmony in Malaysia.

(Prof Chandra Muzaffar)

GLOBALISATION AND ISLAM:

Impacts of Globalisation :

During the Tenth General Conference of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs between 2 and 5 July 1998, several recommendations have been made with regards to the Islamic response to globalisation. The recommendations were made up of three sections, namely :

1) Islamic response at the political level to issues pertaining to globalisation

2) Islamic response at the economic level to issues pertaining to globalisation

Nonetheless, while serious thought has been given and recommendations have been made vis-s-vis globalisation issues, there must equally be concrete and practical plans to realize all those recommendations. Putting ink to paper is easy, but to translate what is written into a practical and realistic actions require a lot more effort and initiative.

The challenge for Muslims – be they Muslim countries, organizations or individuals – lies not only in identifying the problems and issues of globalisation. Mere rhetoric is insufficient. But the real challenge for Muslims in this era of globalisation is to face these issues head on with concrete measures that are implementable.

Global Muslim Unity

Looking at the state-of-the art of education and knowledge development including the area of modern technological advancement, we observe that the Muslim world is in critical condition. The illiteracy rate is still high in the Muslim world. So too are the poverty rate and the unemployment rate in many Muslim countries. Since the Muslims are still lagging behind in terms of modern technology, the rich resources of the Muslim world is still being manipulated and dominated to the maximum by the developed nations.

Politically, some parts of the Muslim world are in turmoil due to domestic political problems as well as foreign pressure. The implementation of economic sanctions against Muslim nations are still unresolved. Problems in Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and other parts of Muslim countries remain unsettled. These issues have accumulated into a big problem to the Muslim world, which resulted in political and economic uncertainty that has brought about suffering among the people of these nations. By and large, this situation is the main reason why Muslim countries are left behind in terms of education and economics development. What we see instead is the rich nations (including the rich Muslim countries) becoming richer, as a consequence – either directly or indirectly – of the backwardness of the majority of the Muslim countries.

No one can actually claim that internal problems do not exist in any one country. Several Muslim countries are facing the problem of continuous bloodshed and killings. The Middle East is currently facing turbulent time with the dangling issues of Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and extremist groups. These political problems have also destabilised those countries.

History has taught Muslims to strive for excellence in all areas and achieve stability in all aspects of life. The first political manoeuvre that the Prophet Muhammad took when the city of Madinah was founded was to create a united and strong ummah (community/nation) through the concept of mu’akhat (brotherhood) between the Muslims of Madinah (Ansar) and Muslims from Makkah (Muhajirin).

The concept of brotherhood as applied by the Prophet involved the development of economic and political system that is global in nature. According to historical sources, the Muslims of Makkah had expertise in trade and commerce, while the Muslims in Madinah were specialists in agriculture and handicrafts. The combination of these two fields created a strong, resilient and solid nation-building process. The concept of mu’akhat between the Ansar and Muhajirin became something that was very practical and pragmatic, not only on everyday matters, but also in strategizing the socio-economic development of the Muslims, in competing with the advancement already achieved by the Quraish of Makkah.

One of the important issues that was stressed by the Prophet was the importance of knowledge. The Prophet personally illustrated this importance when he established the mosque in Quba’. The Prophet strengthened the spiritual aspect with faith (iman) and piety (taqwa), and at the same time the Prophet instilled the need for the acquisition of “worldly” knowledge. This was done by the Prophet by delegating matters pertaining to certain areas of expertise to his companions who had the knowledge on those matters.

To this end, I am of the opinion that if Muslims of today could focus on unity and to achieve common goals in this world, as shown by Ansar and Muhajirin through the concept of mu’akhat, then almost certainly the Muslim world would not be in its current predicament.

I believe that if Muslims put the emphasis on knowledge and a common global vision, then perhaps all the problems and side issues, such as differences of opinions among the jurists and different school of thought, varying interpretations of justice and wether we are secular or not – would be resolved with wisdom without resulting in disunity of the Muslim ummah.

Islam and Global Basis

During my service at the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM) I used to attend several intellectual discourses and forums, including the dialogue in Berlin in 1999, I could observe the seriousness of scholars from non Muslim countries in Asia and Europe, in discussing current issues pertaining to intercultural interactions between Islam and the rest of the world. They stresses positively on the need to maintain a healthy bilateral relationship in generating global co-operation based on tolerance, knowledge-sharing and joint programmes between the Muslim world and their nations. The idea of the clash of civilizations (Huntington, 1996) was rejected by the majority of scholars. It is really important to co-operate between Muslim and non Muslims scholars in the area of education and research.

It is hoped that these pertinent issues, as well as the issues of the portrayal of Islam in the international media, be discussed scientifically and openly in an effort to identify the underlying cause of this malaise in the Muslim world.

The discussion on matters relating to religions and nations should be held void of sentiments and emotions. I am happy to note that some non Muslim scholars I met have very deep understanding and interest in issues in the Muslim world and Islam itself. They look at these issues systemically and openly, and they seem to show an inclination towards an open attitude in accepting the relevance of Islam in the modern world.

The fact that non Muslims world is seriously studying and researching issues vis-a-vis Islam and Muslims should make the Muslims aware that there is an urgent need to scrutinize the research activities conducted by the Muslim academics and scholars in the Muslim world.

We Muslims should be brave enough to pose some critical questions to our own Muslims brothers and sisters : Are the research and scholarly activities showing improvement and maturity? What are the issues being researched and discussed by Muslim scholars and ulamaks? Are we addressing current issues brought about by the rapid advancement in ICT and biotechnology? Or are we still busy debating on matters pertaining to decrees (fatawa) and injunctions (Ahkam)?

Sometime, I feel as if Muslims are still discussing matters based on partisans, sentiments and emotions. Sadly, in doing so, we have made up Islam to be so limited and narrow, while in reality Islam is a complete way of life, which is very wide in scope and global in nature. It is sadder still thet the non-Muslim scholars are the ones who are seriously studying contemporary Islamic issues from a very global perspective.

ISLAMIC MANAGEMENT

ISLAMIC MANAGEMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Islam is not only a religion, but also a complete way of life, called “Al-Din”. Islam doesn’t only tell us about worshipping one God and offering prayers, but it tells each and everything related to life.

The Almighty Allah SWT sent Prophet Muhammad SAW to show practically how to act on teachings of Islam. Allah sent Quran, the most comprehensive divine book of the world, and Prophet explained it in his sayings (Hadith).

Management that is considered to be one of the most important subjects of modern times is also derived from the knowledge that Quran has given us. Many of its principles and theories are derive from the knowledge that the holy Quran has given us more than 14 centuries ago and still relevant in the 21st century.

ISLAMIC CONCEPT OF MANAGEMENT :

Management today is defined as Getting things done through others. Following this concept, a Manager is now understood as a person who works through others. A good manager, therefore, is a person who not only knows what is to be done, but exactly how to get it done. The Quran confirms this principle “We raise some of them above others in ranks, so that some may command work from others...” (43:32)

Management is coordinating work activities so that they are completely effectively and efficiently with and through other people. “Efficiently” means proper usage of resources and less wastage of them. The holy Quran says “And render to the kindred their due rights, as (also) to those in want, and to the wayfarer. But waste not in the manner of a spendthrift” (17:26). Wastage-either in terms of material, human capital, energy, machine utilization, or processing time, create inefficiency resulting in the increase of costs and consequent decrease in profits. “For the wasteful are the brothers of Satan, and Satan is ungrateful to his Lord..” (17:27)

Obedience Respect and Authority. The holy Quran says “Obey Allah and His Messenger, and those in position of authority among you” (4:59) Obedience and respect for authority is the basic fundamental requisite for taking work from others and getting it done. The verse of the Quran is a commandment and not a plea. To be a good Muslim , the believers to observe the ruling with willingness and honesty. Without the spirit of voluntary obedience among those who work, the creation of hierarchy will not serve any purpose.

Joint Consultation and Team Work. The modern world realized the importance of joint consultation (Shura) and team work (Ta’awun) The holy Quran advocates for this concept :”.....And those who do their work through mutual consultation..” (42:83). In the verse 3 of Surah 159, Allah says to His Prophet to consult with others and then take a decision, and after taking decision don’t take stress just trust Allah. It is a very easy way to ease your nerves after taking a very difficult decision.

Principles of Equal Opportunities. All members of an organization shall have equal and fair chances to grow, contribute, and be rewarded accordingly. In the realm of management, it would mean that the criteria for entitlement of any benefit, reward. Position or status shall be such that any one having requisite qualifications and experience should have opportunity to achieve it. The Quran emphasise this golden rule “O People. We created you from a single male and female and then divided you in nations and tribes so that you may recognize one another. Verily the most honourable among you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you..” (49:13)

Motivation and Commitment. Making people what they are supposed to do requires a certain degree of commitment, which can only be achieved through motivitions. It is an established fact that the way a Manager behaves or deals with the subordinates determines the level and vitality of their motivation and commitment to a great axtent. The Quran tells the Prophet “If you have been stern and fierce of heart, they (the companions and followers) would have disappeared from around you. So pardon them, and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the conduct of affairs” (3:159)

Optimum Capacity Utilization. The holy Quran states a golden rule that a Muslim Manager should learn from and practice in his daily life “.....On no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear...Pray, our Lord lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear..” (2:286)This principle is emphasizing on the fact that physical, emotional, and intellectual capacity of an individual is limited, additionally since every person is unique in his talent and temperament, and in his skills, it is important not to burden someone with a task that is beyond his capacity to deal with.

Philosophy of Quality Management.

A business cannot flourish for the long run if it doesn’t give its customer what it promises to. Being a customer it is easy to understand this, but for a businessman, it is usually not. The main focus of a businessman is to make profits and not necessarily to satisfy the customers. In fact the businessman should realize that customer satisfaction is very important, considering the fact that this is directly related with profit margin. So in order to achieve the highest levels of customer satisfaction, scholars have put in considerable amount of research on the concept what is now known as Total Quality Management (TQM). The holy Quran states “Woe to those that deal in fraud, those who, when they have to receive by measure from men, with full measure, but when they have to give by measure or weight to men, they give less than due. Do they not think that they will be called to account?” (83:1-3)

Finally I would like to quote a famous definition of management which gives four functions of management : planning, organizing, leading and controlling, based on assumptions that managers are able to think and act rationally.

In Islam, we have been guided by our religion that we can not segregate knowledge and religion. The holy Quran always reminded us “Why do you think?” “Why you do not use your intelligent?”

I, therefore, would advocate “thinking” as part of management process, thus management is the integrated activities of thinking, planning, organizing, leading and controlling, interconnected with decisions, involving the use of resources – human, financial, information and physical.

AKHLAQ - ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE

In Islam there is a lot of emphasis placed on Akhlaq (Good Moral Conduct). Why is this so? Why should we behave well and respect others? What is the reason?

This can be explained as, when Allah (SWT) created the human being, He (SWT) created it in two parts. One part was like an empty car shell, used to hold something, this is known as outer self (Physical, Body). The other part was like the engine, this is known as inner self (Nafs, Soul).

Our body is such that it needs looking after; we have to feed it and keep it warm, otherwise we will become ill and suffer. Similarly, our soul, known as Nafs, also needs looking after; otherwise it will also become ill. The way to look after this soul is to listen, to think, to respect, to help. When we help someone, we feel happy, but it is not the physical body that feels happy instead it is our Nafs. Hence Akhlaq in Islam is food for the soul, and if we feed it regularly, it will remain happy and healthy.

This brings another question. Other religions also preach respect, so why don't we follow them?

All the religions, which were sent down by Allah (SWT), were brought with their own codes of conduct. Each religion expanded and added until with the advent of Islam when all the rules had been perfected. Man in one way or another has altered the other religions, and only Islam remains as pure as the night it was revealed. This means that by following the Akhlaq in Islam we are feeding our Nafs with the best food.

There is also a saying in English, that the eyes are the windows to the soul. That means that whatever we look at, directly affects our Nafs. If we look at things, which are forbidden (Haraam), we are lowering the standard of our Nafs, while if we refrain from looking at Haraam; we are strengthening the Imaan (faith) of our Nafs.

The problem with the world today is that the physical body is being looked after very well, but the soul is being totally neglected. This causes the disease of the soul, which people do not realize. Such diseases cause intensive and long-term damage. A good Akhlaq can change the mentality of even a bad person. It is indeed a silent but effective preaching.

The greatest doctors of Nafs, who have given us rules and examples to follow, are the Fourteen Ma'sumeen [Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) and Ahlul Bayt (as)].

Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) according to Noble Qur'an has superior standard of character. Allah (SWT) confirms in Noble Qur'an the Akhlaq of our Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) "And most certainly you are on sublime morality (exalted standard of character)". (68:4)

Allah (SWT) had sent our Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) as a mercy to mankind to bring mankind from the darkness into the light. Our Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) was sent to help us complete the goodness of our character by teaching us and leading by example. Our Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, "I have been sent to complete the goodness of your character" - Tazkiyah al-Nafs (purification of the soul).

Sadly we often hear Muslims saying that, "We Muslims have the worst character."

With the beautiful example of our dear Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) in front of us, we should be showing and teaching people what good character is.

If we live and act with good character we will benefit in numerous ways and our lives will also serve to be an invitation to the deen (religion) of Islam.

So, let us make a promise to ourselves that we never let our Akhlaq (Islamic Behavior) fall. Let us love the young and respect the old and if we have any insincerity or bad feeling in our hearts then let us ask Allah (SWT) for forgiveness.

WHO IS EXTREMIST?

AN EXTREMIST IS SOMEONE WHO SUPPORTS AN IDEA, CAUSE, OR SET OF VALUES SO ADAMANTLY AND WITHOUT COMPROMISE THAT SAID PERSON WILL USE THEIR IDEAS TO JUSTIFY ANYTHING THEY DO. This term can be applied to ANYONE regardless of factors as universal as;ETHNICITY, GENDER/ORIENTATION(Male, Female, transgendered, homosexual, heterosexual,bisexual,)RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION(or lack thereof)(Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism etc)OCCUPATION!!!(Teacher, politician, musician, clergman/woman, soldier etc)...Or as regional (BECAUSE SOME OF US DON"T PRESCRIBE TO THIS) as;POLITICAL PARTY MEMBERSHIP, POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY(Communism, Socialism, Anarchism, Nationalism, etc)SELF-PRESCRIBED CULTURAL IDENTITY(Punk, Gangsta, Hippie, Goth, etc)all because extremism does not discriminate, although its practitioners do. Also, please note that few extreme individuals who possess a thorough understanding of the term and its implications actually CHOOSE to describe themselves as "extremists". The truth of the matter is that EXTREMISTS ARE BY DEFINITION ALMOST ENTIRELY IMMERSED IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL AND/OR SHARED SENSE OF SUPERIORITY. THEREFORE THEY TYPICALLY CONVINCE THEMSELVES THAT THEIR PARTICULAR STRAIN OF EXTREMISM IS NOT "EXTREME". IN THE WARPED MIND OF THE EXTREMIST, EXTREMISM IS THE ONLY RATIONAL COURSE!

GLOBALISATION

Globalisation can be defined differently from various perspectives. Mazrui (2000) outlined three different distinct meanings to globalisation. He noted that “at one level it (globalisation) consists of processes that lead to global interdependence and the increasing rapidity of exchange across vast distances”. The three definitations given by Mazrui are as follows:
i) From the perspective of information, globalisation is made up of “forces which are transforming the information pattern of the world and creating the beginnings of what has been called the information super highway”.
ii) From the economic standpoint, globalisation is the transformation of “the global market...creating new economic interdependencies across vast distances”
iii) A more comprehensive definition of globalisation is “all forces which are turning the world into a global village, compressing distance, homogenising culture accelerating mobility and reducing the relevance of political leaders”.
The third definition is much more comprehensive in nature, spelling out the “properties” of globalisation. This definition is very much in line with the definition given by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 1997) which states that “globalisation is not a single phenomenon.....(but) a range of trends and forces changing the face of the world in which we live”.

MULTI-ETHNIC COUNTRY

“SHARED VALUES IN A MULTI-ETHNIC ENVIRONMENT”

Challenges :

What are the challenges we face in achieving shared values in a multicultural environment?

The first of the challenges comes from those with vested interests or with a stake in perpetuating ethnic segregation. They will alienate the vast majority of people with their stand and surely cause disunity.

A second challenge emanates from partisan politics which are ethnic based. Here we see politicians who will only champion the cause of their own ethic group. These are politicians who are willing to forsake other ethnic groups and religions to ensure that they remain popular among their party members.

Third, religious intolerance impedes unity. Narrow, bigoted interpretations of rules and regulations undermine that universal values shared by all religions. Religion can be misused to fuel and to feed hatred of ‘others’, who are culturally, ethnically or religiously different from us.

Shaikh Madkoar

Mohammed Salam Madkoar explains the theoretical assumptions of Islamic Law:In order to protect the five important indispensables in Islam:

1. religion

2. life

3. intellect

4. offspring

5. property.

Islamic Law has provided a worldly punishment in addition to that in the hereafter. Islam has, in fact, adopted two courses for the preservation of these five indispensables:

the first is through cultivating religious consciousness in the human soul and the awakening of human awareness through moral education;

the second is by inflicting deterrent punishment, which is the basis of the Islamic criminal system.

Therefore "Hudud," Retaliation (qisas) and Discretionary (Tazir) punishments have been prescribed according to the type of the crime committed.